Safety-lock for railway-switches.



A. N. GIPFORD.

SAFETY LOOK POR'RAILWAY SWITOEES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1913 1, 1 22,585: Patented D90. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET'I.

A. N. GIFFORD. SAFETY LOOK FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ARTHUR N. GIFFORID, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.

SAFETY-noon FOR RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed November 3, 1913. Serial No. 798,993.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR N. GIFFOBD, citizen of the United States, residing at Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Looks for Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway switches and particularly to means for locking the switch points in their thrown position.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an automatic safety lock'so constructed as to hold one of the switch points to the main rail in the case of a broken cufi", a broken bridle rod, a broken switch rod or broken bolts, or in case of any other accident that would ordinarily allow a switch point to be misplaced from its correct position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for holding the opposite point from that first referred to in correct position spaced from the main rail should this point become detached.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding down the points and preventing any lifting of the same.

switch lever unless the switch points havev returned to correct position to clear the main line.

A still further object of the invention is to construct a safety appliance of the char acter stated which is adapted to be used in conjunction with but independent of the present styles and types of switches and is adapted to be used in conjunction with any usual or ordinary form of switch throwing mechanism. Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a section of track and switch together with my improved switch point locking mechanism. Fig. i is a perspective detail viewof the point locking bar, the latch being detached. Fig. is an elevation of the switch point locking bar and latch, the points and rails being in section, this figure showing one point locked from the main rail. Fig. 4 is a like view to Fig. 3 but showing the locking device in inoperative position. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the switch stand and a portion of the locking bar, the cover of the switch-stand being removed.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these drawings, AA' designates the rails of a main line and BB' the rails of a siding or turnout, while CC designates the points of the switch at the junction of the siding with the main track. The rails A' A and BB' are of the usual standard form as are the points CC'. These points are connected by means of any usual or suitable bridle rod 2; As illustrated. this bridle rod extends beneath the rails A-A and BB' and the points are held to the bridle rod by means of clips 3, these clips being perforated at a plurality of points so that the points themselves may bev adjusted upon the bridle rod 2. The clips are held to the bridle rod by means of bolts 4: or in any other suitable manner. The bridle rod 2 extends beneath the rails and is connected at 5 to a switch rod 6. This switch rod extends from any suitable switch stand or operating device.

As illustrated, the switch stand used by me comprises a casing formed with a supporting plate 7, a depending hollow portion 8 and a cap or cover 9. Disposed within the casing 8 is a crank disk or wheel 10 having the upwardly extending wrist pin 11 to which the rod 6 is connected. This gear wheel or disk 10 is mounted upon a vertical shaft 12 which is supported in suitable bearings within the casing and extends upward through the cap 9 and may be connected to a signal mast if desired.

Supported in suitable bearings in the easing is a horizontally disposed shaft 13 having thereon the gear wheel 1.4 which meshes with teeth upon the wheel 10. The extremity of this shaft is provided with the laterally projecting arm 15 having a weighted end 16.

The casing is mounted upon the ties 17 and 1S, and disposed upon these ties are the sockets 19 within which the arm 15 is received. Both of these sockets are of the 'same construction. Each socket comprises a base plate and the upwardly extending jaws 21 and 22 the jaw 22 being bifurcated and having a latching member 23 pivoted in the bifurcation of the jaw.

So far all the parts Which I have de-.-

scribed may be of any usual or ordinary construction, though preferably they are of the form stated. l a I 'My improved attachment comprises a bar 24 which is mounted in guides 26, 27 and 28 upon the tie 17. The bar extends along the entire face of the tie and is provided with the upwardly projecting lugs '25 which engage over the base flanges of the points im mediately adjacent the extremities of the points. These orerhanging lugs 25. prevent any lifting movement of the points-relative.-

to the bar 24..

As illustrated, the guidesare three in number. The guide 26 consists of a strap bent at right angles and attached by bolts or other suitable attaching devices to one end of the tie. The guide 27 is also angular in form and is disposed about the-middle of the distance between the rails A-A. The" ,memberf28 is substantially U-shaped in "form,

the upper leg of the member resting upon the upper face of the tie, while the lower leg is bolted to the side face of the tie. The body of this guide isspaced sufiicienfly from the side face of the tie to permit the reciprocation of the bar 24 and of the latching member 29 now to bedescrilbed.

. The latching member 29 is fiat and is pivoted at 30 upon a bolt or -like attaching devicepass .g through the bar 24. One end of the latch 29 is angularly bent and downwardly extended as at 31 and is adapted to abut against the guide 27 when the points I are connected to open the main line and close the s iding. On the opposite. side of the pivotal point 30 thelatch is formed upon its upper face with the tooth This tooth has a bei'el face adapted to have wedging engagement with the base of the rail AC The under face 33 of the extremity of the latch 29 is beveled upward and outward so as to permit the latch to be turncdjtothc position shown injFig. 4 so that this under face will lie fiat against the lower wall of the loop or body portion of the guide 28, thus carrying the tooth 32 below the rail A. The opposite end.of the bar 24 is formed with an upwardly extending shoulder 34 of such length that when the outer edge face 35 of the shoulder comes'against the strap or guide 26, the inner edge face 36 of the shoulder will be disposed in alinement with the inner faceof the bifurcated lug 22. Thus when the locking bar 24 is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 3, the arm. 15 of the switch-stand maybe turned. and inserted between the lugs 21 and 22 and will bear against thef inner face of the shoulder. U

less, however, the locking bar 24 is shifted fullyover to the position shown in Fig. 3,

that is,- to a position so as to open the main line, the arm 15 can-not be turned down into position between the lugs 21 and 22. The latch .23 is adapted to, engage over the arm l-i -wlien it is turned fullylinto position be tween the lugs 21 and 22.

The operation of the invention is as follows: 'When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, the points are shifted into position to open the main line and close-the siding. Under these circumstances, the arm 15 engages behind the head or shoulder 3: and'prevent's the bar 214 from being accidentally shifted laterally in position to open the branch line. At this time, the latch 29 is turned to such position that the tooth or lug 32 extends up between the rail A and the adjacent point, thus holding the point and the rail positively separated so that the point can not be forced in against the rail, independently of the bar 24: even though the point becomes loose. The latch 29 is turned to theposition to urge the tooth 32 up between the main rail and the point by the angular end 31. of the latch coming in as the locking bar 24 is thrown toward the switch-stand. Then it is desired to shift the swlteh-points from the position opencontact with the edge face of the guide 27 ing the'main line to the position opening the sidingand closing the main line,the arm 15 is turned backward thus rotating the shaft 13, rotating the member 10 and retracting the switch rod 6. This retracts the bridle rod and throws the switch points. The moyeinent of the switch-ipoints carries the locking bar-24 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the.po"sition shown in Fig. 4. At the beginning of this movement the beveled face of the tooth 32 engages .with the base of rail A and the tooth andforward end of the latch are forced downward until the tooth rides under the base of the rail A as illustrated in Fig. 4.

;' It. will-be seen that my attachment locks the points firmly in position holding the main line open and that even did any part of the switch-stand become broken, or the switch rod become-broken, one pointwould he held, firmly in place against the rail of iao main line. If any obstruction should occur to the full movement of the points, if for instance stones, dirt or ice should accumulate between the point and the rail which would impede the full movement of the points to open the main line, the switch arm 15 can not be turned and locked and the operator will be notified of the fact that the switch points had not been fully closed.

It is often the case that there is play between the switch points and the switchstand or operating mechanism, and the handle or lever of the switch-stand may be turned fully without, however, fully shifting the points. Unless the points are fully shifted to open the main line with my construction it is impossible to shift the switchstand to its fully locked position.

While I have illustrated what I believe to be the preferable form of my invention, I

' and switch points operating between the rails, of a point locking device shiftable with the points and including a locking member insertible between one of the points and the adj acent'rail, means for forcing said member into position between the point and rail when the point is separated from the rail and means for retracting said member when the point is forced toward the rail.

2. The combination with parallel rails and switch points operating between the rails, of a point locking device shiftable with the points and including a locking member insertible .between one of the points and the adjacent rail, said member being forced into position between the point and rail when the point is separated from the rail, and being retractable from said positilon when the point is forced toward the ral 3. The combination with parallel rails and switch points operating therebetween, of a l: cking oar connected to the points to shift lherewith, means shiftable into position to hold said locking bar and the points from transverse movement, and a locking member insertible between one of the points and the adjacent rail, means for forcing said member into position between the point and rail when the point is separated from the rail and the locking bar is held from -movement, and means for retracting said member when the locking bar is shifted and the point forced toward the rail.

4. The combination with parallel rails and switch points operating therebetween, of a locking bar connected to the points to shift therewith, a latching member insert ible between one of the points and the adjacent rail, means for automatically forcing said latching member into its locking position when the point is spaced from the adjacent rail and means for forcing said latching member out of said position when the point is shifted into contact with the adjacent rail.

:5. The combination with main track rails, branch track-rails, a pair of switch points and point operating mechanism, of a looking bar shiftable with the points, a latch mounted upon the locking bar and shiftable into position between one of the points and the adjacent main line rail to hold the points to open the main line, and means for causing the latch to shift out of its locking position upon an actuation ofthe switch operating mechanism to shift the points to open the branch track.

6. The combination with parallel rails, switch points and means for shifting the points, of a locking bar carried by and shiftable with the points, a latch pivoted upon the locking bar and having a tooth adapted to be inserted between one of said points and the adjacent rail when the point is shifted away from said rail, and means for causing a retraction of said latch when the point is shifted against the rail by switch operating mechanism.

7 The combination with parallel rails, switch points, and switch operating mechanism, of a locking bar engaging said switch points and movable therewith, a latch pivoted upon the locking bar and having an upwardly extending projection adapted to be inserted between one of said points and the adjacent rail, said projection having a beveled face engageable with the base of the rail to cause a retraction of-the tooth upon a movement of the switch point toward'the.

rail, and a coincident movement of the looking bar.

8. The combination with parallel rails, a switch point and point operating mechanism, of a locking bar carried by and shiftable with the switch points, a pivoted latch mounted upon the locking bar and having an upwardly extending tooth at one end, the opposite end of the latch ha ving'a depending portion, means for causing an upward movement of the toothed end of the latch upon a movement of the switch point away from the adjacent rail and means for causing a. downward movement of the latch upon a movement of the switch point toward the adjacent rail.

In a switch, the combination with main track rails, branch track 1 a switch point and switch operating mechanism, of a looking bar attached to and movable with the switch points, guides through which said locking bar operates. one o id'guides being disposed between the r: of the track, and a latch angular in form and pivoted guide when the point is shifted away from the rail to cause the projection of said lug or tooth between the rail and the point. i

10. The combination with spaced rails,

and switch points operating between the rails, and a switch stand including a member movable to a projected position when the points are fully thrown in one direction;

of a point holding device including a looking bar engageable by said member when in projected position, and when the. switch is thrown, said locking barbeing operatively connected 'to move with the points, and a latching member insertible into position between one of the points of-the adjacent rail when the point is 'shiftedaway vfrom saidadjacent rail; and means for automatically moving the latching member out of suchposition when 'the point is shifted with the locking bar into engagement with said rail.

11. In a switch, the combination with main track rails, branch track rails and switch-operating mechanism including an operating arm movable in a vertical plane parallel to the main track rails, of a-lockin bar extending beneaththe track rails an engaging with. the switch points to move therewith said locking bar having an 'upwardly-extending shoulder at one end movable across the path of movement ofthe operating arm and preventing a full movement of the operatingarm .to shift the switch points to open the main track unless the switch points have beeen fully shifted, a latch mounted upon the opposite end of the locking bar and having an upwardly projecting tooth or lug mounted to-engage between one of the main track rails and the adjacent switch point, and means for causing an upward movement of said. lug to its projected position upon a movement of the switch' oints to open the main track, and

means or causing a. downward movement of the toothed vend of-the latch to retract said lug or tooth from between'the point and'rail upon a movement of the points to open-the side track.

In testimony whereof 'I "affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR N. c-IFFoRD. n. S1

Witnessesy i BEN E. Moss,

H. MULHOLLAND. 

